Interview with cEVIN of Skinny Puppy
Joseph DiGregorio (UND)
This is a post from the smothered-hope mailing list. It is a fairly
informative interview with cEVIN that addresses many of the questions
I've noticed on RMI about Skinny Puppy and their related projects.
To find out more about the mailing list, there is info at the end.
---->8----
Hello!
My offer to translate the German interview of cEvin Key has found
some interest and so I will try to do so and post the result to
the mailing list and to r.m.i. I hope that I manage to transport
all the content of the interview in spite of my poor English.
It starts with a little report about Skinny Puppy dealing mainly
with the last few years of the band before the interview itself
starts.
Does anyone know anything about the favourite albums Cevin mentions?
I just know a few of the bands (Kraftwerk, Human League etc.) but
none of the albums.
SKINNY PUPPY: WELCOME TO THE PROCESS (New Life 6/1995, pp 6 ff.)
Finally there seems to be an end of the long waiting for the new
Skinny Puppy album "Process". According to new informations master-
ing of the album will be finished in june so that nothing prevents
a release in september. This is motivation enough to New Life for
interviewing Cevin Key. A new interview is planned after hearing
something of the album. First we wanted to interview Nivek Ogre.
Because of personal differencies between Ogre and the author this
talk was stopped premature. The only thing that could be got from
Ogre was a statement to the planned tour: "I know that SP would
like to tour through Europe which did not work out since the
middle of the eighties. The present situation is at least as un-
certain but for different reasons. While Dwayne Goettel (= Duck)
and Cevin Key are in their "SUBCONSCIOUS STUDIO" in Vancouver to
mix the album Ogre is in seattle working on a new W. E. L. T. Album
After changing the label of Skinny Puppy from Nettwerk to Rick
Rubin's American Recording in the middle of '93 and moving to Los
Angeles they started recording "The Process" which was interrupted
by an earthquake damaging the studio equipment. At the beginning of
1994 the recordings were interrupted again because Cevin Key was hurt
doing a stunt for a b-movie jumping out of a driving car but not
getting caught as planned. In May Cevin and Dwayne moved back to
Vancouver while Ogre staid in Los Angeles. In the following time
both halfs of SP started trading music and voicerecordings often.
This was interrupted by the tour of Pigface in which Ogre was in-
volved, too. By this engagement for Pigface Ogre met Genesis P.
Orridge (Psychic TV) who helped advising to make the new album.
"I helped according to the ideas, getting of information and the
title of the album. I took all my old Throbbing Gristle stuff with
me to the studio and showed them how to abstract it." It seems that
there is a conflict rising within Skinny Puppy because Genesis
continues "From this experience Ogre and I decided to record the
next album alone. We get along together good but we can push us and
force us, too." Unfortunally this information was not ours when
interviewing Cevin so that we could not ask him for the relation-
ship between Skinny Puppy and Psychic TV. The album will be
accompanied by a video release. First there were four different t-
shirts appearing recently. Besides of that there is a accompanying
internet project by that all people can get access to the informat-
ions influencing the album and can upload information, too.
Genesis: "I think that the most interesting point with Skinny
Puppy is, that we and Puppy plan to do most work by internet
in future. We have prepared to give live concerts via net which
can be got by people for free."
But now the interwiew with Kevin who we want to thank at this
place for the time he spent with us during the final phase of recording
the album.
NL: When do you think that the recordings of "The Process" will be
finished? What date is the planned release date?
CK: 90 percent of the album are now (May 2nd, 1995) completed. I
expect it to be released in about 120 days.
NL: Is the final mixing everything that is missing at the moment?
CK: Yes, only final mixing.
NL: Do you plan the pre-release of a single like "Meek Baby,
Tweek Baby"?
CK: We hope to release some singles but I can't give any titles
now. There will be no "Meek Baby, Tweek Baby".
NL: It's been a long time since the release of "Last Rights". Earlier
you did put out about an album per year. What did change after
"Last Rights"? There were so many delays in the production of
"Process". I have heard that you changed the producer again
and again: Martin Atkins, Rave Ogilvy, Greg Reely and now Rave
again. Ogre told about 'tying and burning' the producer. What
did happen?
CK: We have changed the families (labels) and worked together with
a professional managament for the first time. It took some time
to get a new deal with American Recordings. Additionally we
planned to spend sufficient time for a very special Puppy LP.
The label wanted us to try some other producers. We have a very
uncommon method of working and many people tried to manipulate
the album to something from which they though it was great.
Now we fired the managament and the original producing team
was reconstructed and we feel that our combined abilities that
are respected more now, will prove to be best.
NL: Can you tell something about your "Doom Generation" accident?
CK: There is a running court process so that I cannot discuss the
accident here. I did break my kneecap and my face had to be
sewed with 8 stitches.
NL: Why did you change your label? Are you satisfied with
American? Do you get the support you need?
CK: Yes, I think that it's working better together with American.
I think that our management did act for us the wrong way and
that was typical.
NL: How do the two parts of Skinny Puppy do communicate? What's
the situation when having a singer in Los Angeles or - like
now - in Seattle?
CK: We communicate mainly by music.
NL: How often do you meet Ogre? How would you describe your relat-
ionship?
CK: As I told you: we speak by music. Besides of that we don't
share too much interests.
NL: How do you share your work with Skinny Puppy? Has Ogre all
the responsibility for lyrics and visual appearance of Skinny
Puppy?
CK: Our part is to programm, to play and to build up the musical
appearance of Skinny Puppy. We write all the music and Ogre
writes all the lyrics except sampled passages and tape voices
chosen by Dwayne and me. Dave Ogilvie is an important factor
of Skinny Puppy, too, cause he is arranging Ogre's work. He
is controlling Ogre.
NL: Are you still interested in writing movie soundtracks? Did
you meet Graeme Revell during the time in Los Angeles? What
do you think of his career with SPK after Hollywood?
CK: I know Graeme and respect his work. I loved "Dead Calm" and
it's classic what they did on "Zamia Lehmanni". Grame called
me last year because of possible collaboritions in movies
which sounds very realistic to me. We did some scenes for
movies which are within the production process now and we
finished a commercial for "Atari Jaguar Games". We have to
do something for a movie of Jim van Bebbers but we are late
with this. I hope he won't kick our asses!
NL: Is there a non zero possibility of a Europen tour in 1995?
CK: If it was my decision I would say "Yes" but we can only make
one step at once. We have heard of European swindle-tours.
We planned to come to Europe during the "Last Right"-tour but
Ogre was injured at his knee and it had to be cancelled.
NL: What can we expect from the upcoming live perfomance of
Skinny Puppy? Will the program be similar to your earlier
ones or will you go in a new direction? Will there be blood
and horror elements? How will the live setup be?
CK: No comment.
NL: I have heard about some new musical elements of the Process,
Ogre singing without distortion and you have a guitarist. Can
you explain in which way the album will be different from
earlier releases?
CK: I think it will be the our hardest album even if Ogre did do
it with some less effects on a few tracks. It reminds me mostly of
"Vivisect VI", "Rabies" and "Bites". We have used a real guitar
instead of samples first but we did remove these parts and
started sampling again.
NL: What's the name of the guitarist? Will he play some heavy
stuff like Ministry, NIN or Millennium or can we expect
something more ingenious?
CK: His name is Pat Sprawl and he's a friend of us - no metal
person! He has a strange timing and a terrific, fucking heavy
but no metal style.
NL: The missing track of "Last Rights", "Left Handshake" is still
unreleased. Additionally there were no printed lyrics included
in "Last Rights". Will this be corrected in near future?
CK: I don't want to promise too much but who has internet access
may download "Left Handshake" from the Skinny Puppy www-home-
page (http://process.usc.edu).
NL: At the moment you are working with the release of old and rare
material, for example a "Back and Force Series 3", "Brap", etc.
Can you give any comment on this?
CK: We collect recordings of our tours and lots of old 4-track-
tapes as preparation of "Back and Force 3" which will be
called "Brap". It will feature nothing else than live improvi-
sations 84 - 92. We accept contributions of collectors and
bootleggers, too, which can send us their favorite tracks now.
Until now I've got four hours of material and I've got 30 more
hours myself from which I will put together 70 minutes of
music.
NL: Now that you are working at the Process-Video - can we expect
a collection of old clips?
CK: Yes, we are putting together a Skinny Puppy Video Compilation
which will be soon in the stores.
NL: Will there be a release in PAL system?
CK: Yes, we are planning European PAL, too.
NL: Besides Skinny Puppy you are working on many side projects.
Duck did release a split 12" with Philth, you did contribute
to a Dead Voices on Air track. You are planning three Download
albums with temporary titles "Download", "Synthesizer" and
"Collision". Who did contribute to this albums? How do you
describe them stylistic?
CK: This is a very cool point because I'm feeling that Download -
consisting of Key, Goettel, spybey (Dead Voices on Air) and
Philth is very modern. We`ve been meeting for about a year and
the stuff we make is horror-related and aggressive enough to
get you to a trip without acid. We compile a debut lp at the
moment and we will publish it on a German label. If you are
a fan of the last tracks of "Last Right" I'm sure that Down-
load will be your favourite band soon.
NL: Do you plan a new Tear Garden in near future?
CK: Yes, I hope that we will reunite in a year or two. I'm look-
ing forward to working with Edward and the Legendary Pink
Dots. It's big fun to work together with them. These people
are like a family to me.
NL: What do you think about "Intelligent Techno" and "Ambient"?
Do you like any techno project?
CK: I am a fan of all kinds of electronic music. We like and buy
very much. I have to say that nearly all albums I'm buying
are electronical. Here is my actual (and not so actual) list:
Kraftwerk 1 (found it! cool)
Drome: final corporate colonisation
Aphex Twin: I care cuz you do
O yuki: conjugate
FSOL: ISDN
mu-Ziq: Tango N vectif
Brainticket (1971)
Atomu Shinzu: ACT
Eno and Butt: The pearl
Human League: Black Hit of Space
NL: What do you think of Metal-Industrial-Crossover like Nine Inch
Nail's "Downward Spiral" or FLA's "Millennium"?
CK: I did listen to "Downward Spiral" once or twice but I did not
find anything special to me in the sound. I love it to hear
new things in music. That is nearly like a journey. FLA did
do this never to me nor does NIN - and Trents Ogreisms do deter
me from it, too.
NL: Do you plan multimedia projects?
CK: Yes, as much as we manage without losing control of the
quality.
NL: Which artists, movies and/or books do you like? Why?
CK: Not too much. I'm a collector of synthesizers and I like to
screwing at old synthesizers and improvising with them.
Besides of that I'm watching the O. J. Simpson process for
one or two hours per day. I'm interested mainly in the course
of the process and the behaviour of Simpson's lawyers. I am
convinced that he is guilty and I`m indignant at his possibility
to buy his freedom with money in this case.
NL: Why is the new album called "Process"? Is there a relationship
to the O. J. Simpson process?
CK: No, there is none except that the media are playing a part in
spreading the "Process".
NL: What is your motivation still to make music after 15 years?
CK: Electronic music, psychedelia, planets, Roland ARP, Subbas,
to reconstruct my VW of 1957, Ganja Jamaica, the strange,
extreme, synchronising, synthesizers, pitch shifter, Subcoun-
scious Studios.
NL: What does May 1st mean to you?
CK: It's the day we left LA.
NL: Thank you very much for this interview.
NL is Gunnar Bali of New Life
CK is Cevin Key (= Kenny King = Kevin Crompton)
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